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Foreshadowing from Finance?

On the third day of the Senate Finance Committee’s markup of the deeply flawed bill offered by chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) a vote on a key amendment may be a bad sign of things to come.

As Jon Walker reports at FDL an amendment to fully close the so-called “donuthole” — the insidious gap in prescription coverage in Medicare part D — was defeated by a 10 to 13 vote.

The amendment, proposed by Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) would have expanded coverage and lowered drug costs for 44 million seniors. The amendment would fully cover the cost of filling the donut hole and provide an additional $50 billion in government savings. And it would be paid for through a pharmaceutical industry rebate for overcharging seniors eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

Toward the end of the debate on the amendment, chairman Baucus said he’d wished that its sponsors hadn’t brought up the amendment.

And it was clear why. The amendment challenges the limits on drug industry contributions to health reform costs that Baucus agreed to in a reported deal with PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry’s powerful lobby.

When it came time to vote on the amendment, two Democratic Senators, Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) initially “passed”. All 10 Republican Senators on the Committee voted “No” — and they were joined by three Democrats: Thomas Carper (D-Delaware), Robert Menendez (D-NJ)… and the chairman Max Baucus (D-MT). At that point Conrad and Lincoln voted “Yes”, but even then the amendment failed 10 to 13.

There are still several key amendments yet to be brought up that could significantly improve the Finance bill by including a public option. Among them:

1. Rockefeller #C1 (Amendment 181)–Apply health insurance market reforms to the large group and self-insured market effective in 2013

2. Rockefeller #C7 (Amendment 187)–establishes a public option that is tied to Medicare plus 5% rates with the ability to negotiate drug prices, and has an “opt-out” provider network.

3. Rockefeller #C5 (Amendment 185)–creates one national exchange, and strikes state exchanges and regional exchanges.

4. Schumer-Cantwell #C2 (Amendment 267)–Public option as passed by HELP Committee

You can help support these amendments. Call and email the Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee. A Daily Kos diary from slinkerwink has the full contact list.

Tell them to improve the bill with a public option and support these amendments.

Tags: health care reform, public option